For decades, companies have been offering their employees support with childcare. This can range from in-house classes to much more elaborate programs. There are many benefits to providing childcare regardless of your industry.
Childcare can actually be much more important to an employee’s career than you might think at first glance. Childcare is beneficial for employers because it improves the quality of life in the workplace and reduces absenteeism, while also enhancing an employer’s image with regard to its commitment to work/life balance. It also decreases long-term healthcare costs for both employees and employers.
Other benefits of providing childcare include, but are not limited to:
– Greater levels of focus and concentration
– Developing emotional intelligence (EQ)
– Making employees more likely to perform better at their jobs
– Reducing the number of employees who leave their jobs
– Employee loyalty
– Improving employee retention rates
– Better quality applicants
For employees, the benefits are just as significant. Childcare allows people to feel more secure in their careers, because they are now able to plan ahead, know they have the support available to attend meetings with clients whether required or not, and also have peace of mind for their children. Employees are more likely to have a long-term relationship with an employer who provides childcare versus one who does not. According to research by Cone Communications, “the most successful companies in employee retention share similar attributes: work environments that are flexible, friendly and beneficial to workers’ lives”.
Some employees bring their children to work or use childcare services on-site. This can vary by company, organization, industry, and even country. The overall goal remains the same: “to sustain engagement and productivity by making their working experience more comfortable”.
The Key To Successful Childcare Programs
The key to successful childcare programs is making them part of the organizational culture. When employees feel that something is just “the way it is” at your workplace it can lead to disengagement. An engaged employee who knows what is expected of them will take initiative, will perform their tasks well, and will be loyal. On the other side of things, and engaged employee who does not feel like they are part of the team will seek other opportunities elsewhere. Engagement in the workplace can be impacted by childcare in a variety of ways. When an employer offers on-site childcare it is critically important for this to be seen as a “regular” part of the company’s culture. If they are only there because the employer sponsors it this can lead to disengagement among employees.
Companies that sponsor on-site childcare must ensure that all employees know that the policy is unconditional and that they are not expected to use it. It is also critically important to make clear the process for using the program. If employees are not comfortable using the childcare program it can lead to disengagement.
The more integrated on-site childcare is with your overall company culture, the greater the benefits for both employees and employers.
What is the importance of child care programs?
Childcare is beneficial for employers because it improves the quality of life in the workplace and reduces absenteeism. It also enhances employers’ image with regard to its commitment to work/life balance. It also decreases long-term healthcare costs for both employees and employers.
Employees value flexible working arrangements because they allow them to better organize their work and personal activities. Additionally, allowing employees to arrange their work and home lives in such a way that best fits their needs will increase employee productivity and retention. On average, workers who have access to flexible arrangements tend to be significantly more satisfied with the life they lead at work than those who do not. They also spend more time at work and after work than those in non-flexible arrangements do.
How much time do people spend in childcare?
According to the US Department of Labor, in 2007, the average parent spent 10.6 hours per week caring for children under 15 years of age. This amounts to an average of 34 hours annually or 694 hours altogether. The study further notes that both parents involve in this care because 59% of the households have two working parents with only 11% having only one working parent.
Conclusion-
Childcare, given the right opportunity and support, can provide a fringe benefit that is both beneficial and beneficial. When it is unavailable or not available, families and individuals suffer in many ways. Simply providing childcare services can not only improve employees’ views of their employers. It can also improve the workplace by increasing productivity and retention among employees. Because this service is so important to employees, employers must take advantage of all opportunities provided to them so that they will also benefit from the ease with which they were able to provide this service.
To add this benefit to your organization, please reach out to Nannies & Kids United at 770-284-6090 or [email protected].